The Presley et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,513 describes an adjustable easel adapted for use by disabled persons. The primary objective of Presley et al is to provide an easel in which the position of the canvas can be laterally translated by rotation of an easel board to bring different parts of the canvas within easy reach of an artist with a disability. The Presley et al easel however is not directed to the requirements of an artist painting or sketching with artist's implements held in the mouth and the requirements of such an artist confined to a bed or wheelchair environment.
The Presley et al easel is limited to an easel board that can form only an acute angle with the Presley et al. horizontal mounting plate. The Presley et al easel is constructed so that the easel board cannot form an obtuse angle relative to the horizontal mounting plate. The Presley et al easel cannot present an easel board over the face of an artist confined to a bed environment or a wheelchair. Furthermore the framework and easel superstructure of Presley et al would interfere in access to the easel board and canvas by an artist painting or sketching by mouth handled implements.
The Sena U.S. Pat. No. 3,799,488 describes an artist's collapsible wall and table mounted easel which can only be used to form an acute angle with its horizontal base. Otherwise the easel will tip over. The Glebe U.S. Des. No. 303,589 describes a collapsible easel with the same limitations.
Other examples of adjustable or collapsible artist's easels are found in the Wiseheart U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,856; the Capella U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,470; the Calmes U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,224; and the Potter U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,040,762 and 5,219,142. None of these easel structures is intended to present a working canvas or sketching surface at an acute angle relative to the plane of an artist confined to a bed environment. In each case the easel frame or structure would interfere in access to the working canvas by an artist painting or sketching by mouth held implements.